Protection of ships against torpedo attacks



L. E. WHITON.

- PROTECTION OF SHIPS AGAINST TORPEDO ATTACKS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 25. 1917.

1,369,586. A Patented Feb. 22,1921.

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LUCI'US n. warren, on NEW Lonn'om con'nnc'ricour,

PROTECTION OF smrs AGAINST 'ronrnno ATTACKS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUCIUS E. WHrroN, a citizen of the United States of Amerlca, residing at New London, Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Protection of Ships Against Torpedo Attacks, of which the following is a specification.

Many different forms of devices have been proposed for preventing torpedoes from reaching ships. It has been proposed to suspend nets and plates from the sides of the ship, but all of the constructions heretofore known, so far as I know, seriously impede the progress of the ship and are extremely difficult to handle. It has also been proposed to provide auxiliary ships for towing devices for other ships. This of coursestill leaves the towing ship exposed and interferes with the ships. p

It is mymain object to provide a construction by which the ship itself can tow its own protecting means, such protecting means to be of such a nature as to interfere as little as possible with the ordinary handling and movement of'the ship, and to be of such a construction as to be relatively inexpensive and quickly and easily made of materials which can readily be returned to commercial uses when not required as protectors. I

.In the preferred form, protection is afforded by a plurality of-series of independent plates supported by trains of floats. The

plates are preferably suspended some distance below the floats 'so as to be positioned to recelve the impact of torpedoes and cause the explosion at a distance from the side of the ship. Preferably, a space intervenes between the plates and the floats so as to permit surface water to pass back and forth wlthout disturbing the plates. Preferably the plates are arranged in, two trains at each side of'the ship, one train being in advance of and farther from the ship them the other off fromthe bow of the ship to pass between the trains of plates with a minimum amount 'of'int'erference and a minimum amount of disturbance of the plates and-impedance of towingthese trains of floats and plates at independent operation of Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb, 22, .1921. Application filed May 25, 1917. "Serial N0. 170,847.

the proper distance from the ship. -A simidiagrammatic illustrating a ship with my invention applied.

Flg. 2 is a side view of the same, Fig. 3 is a detail of one of the floats and one end of an. adjacent float and the'sus-j pended platesa F 1g. 4: 1s an end view of one of the floats and plates showing also in dotted linesthe permissible relative movement betweenthe plate and the float.

'10'is a stiff spar or boom near the waterline in the nature of a bowsprit having its forward end quite low down. 11 is astiff spreader at the base of the bowsprit 10.

Cables, rods orv ropes 12-12 connected to the ship extend around the ends] of the spreader to the end of thebowsprit to stay it against stresses in a horizontal plane.

- Cables, rods, ropes or stays -1313 extend from the bow of the ship to the tip of the bowsprit to stay it against stresses in a vertical plane. v

p The towing booms 14+14 extend'diagd nally forward and outward from the bow of the ship. These are-stayed vagainst stresses in a horizontal plane by upwardly inclined rods, ropes or cables15-15 extendingfrom 3 the ship to the outer ends of the booms, and

downwardly inclined. rods, ropes or cables 15-'15*"and 15 connecting the outer ends of I the booms with the forwardend of the bowsprit. These booms are also stayed against stresses in a vertical plane by rods, ropes "or cables 16,16', extending from the bow of the ship to the outer endsofthe booms. The

, stays 16 and 16' may pass directlyto thebow l or over a vertical support 17 with an anchor so as to permit the water currentsthrown stay 16*. The booms and bowsprit will, of course, be seated against suitably "strong parts of the ship and they maybe mounted so as to be dismantled readily or so as to be swung inwardly. or upward in themanner of derrick masts and rigging.

Each protective train is made up of a series'of floats 20 .20 and plates 21-21.

These floats may be made of ordinary metal pipe such as spiral riveted pipe or even range boilers of suitable size to sustain the desired load. The plates may be ordinary commercial plates of say in. thickness, and require no fabrication except at the suspension points. Preferably, the plates are suspended from the floats by links 2222 so that the plates are spaced some little distance below the floats to allow surface water and waves to pass over and around the floats and above the plates without interfering with the plates. These links may be hingedly connected to the floats and plates for instance by straps 23 and brackets 24. Preferably, a number of plates are independently supported from each float so as to facilitate handling, reduce fabrication, and permit the passage of water currents without unnecessary impedance. Preferably, the floats are normally loosely connected together as at 25 so as to permit relative freedom of movement without straining the parts. The inner train, floats and plates, is towed by cable 26 passing around the sheave or pulley 27 and connected to a windlass 28 on the ship so that the train may be-moved forward or backward into the desired position. The stern of the ship is preferably provided with a system of booms, stays and cables similar to the bow and the rear end of the inner train may be connected to the ship by a cable 29 which is normally slack. The outer forward train is towed by a cable 80 passing around a sheave or pulley 31 and connected to a Windlass 32 on a ship, the rear of this outer train is also preferably provided with a cable 33 connected to the stern of the ship.

This arrangement permits the water currents thrown off from the bow of the ship to pass outward between the outer and inner trainsof plates and floats with a minimum impedance and minimum interference with the plates. Fig. 1, in dotted lines, shows the forward outer train as thrown outward by water currents. It will be obvious that this construction permits the forward and aft 1 adjustment of the two trains relatively to each other and relatively to the ship so as to bring them into the position which best corresponds with the speed of the ship and the water currents produced by the movement. This permits the application of the towing forces as nearly as possible in true alinement with the direction of the ship.

The particular design and arrangement of the towing booms, cables, etc., will vary, of course, with the size and shape of the ship and the stresses which the protectivejplates and floats produce. It is preferred as before indicated, that the booms and stays be so arranged as to afford the minimum impedance to the ships speed and the maximum strength in the direction in which the forces are applied, namely, the longitudinal towing effect and the vertical stress resulting from the necessary downward pull as well as the pitching and rolling action of the ship.

It will be seen that the protective effect of the construction and arrangement herein shown is wholly independent of the rolling or pitching of the ship to which attachment is effected only by the towing connection. By the arrangement shown, the outer train which necessarily has the shorter towing line is shorter in length than the inner train and therefore produces a minimum stress.

Ifdesired, the cross stays 15 and 15! may be arranged to carry suspended bars 35 adapted to detect and explode mines in the ships path, or deflect or explode torpedoes approaching from forward angles.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for protecting a ship from torpedoes comprising independently. floating trains of protective members and means for towing said trains in pairs parallel to the ship with one train of each pair in advance of and outside of the other train of said pair so as to permit water currents from the bow of the ship to pass between the two trains of each pan of trains.

2. Apparatus for protecting a ship against torpedo attack comprising pairs of inner and outer trains of protecting plates, floats for suspending said plates, means for towing saidtrains of plates independently of each other, with one train of each pair inner and outer trains of protecting plates,

floats for suspendingsaidplates, means for towing said trains of plates independently of each other, with one train of each pair in advance of and outside of the other train of said pair, and cables connecting the rear ends of said trains to the ship, said cables being normally slack. 5. Apparatus for protecting a ship against torpedo attack comprising trains of floats at eachside of the ship flexibly connected together and plates independently suspended from said floats, and means for towing said trains-at each side of the ship substantially parallel with the axis of the ship and with certain trains in advance of other trains.

6. Apparatus for protecting a ship against torpedo attack comprising a train of flexibly connected floats, a series of relatively imperforate vertically extending plates supported to swing from each float with a space between the floats and the plates, and a towing boom extending from the ship and a cable leading therefrom to said train of floats whereby the floats and plates are towed by the ship itself and are 10 supported entirely by the water independently of the ship, said plates being adapted to resist relative lateral movement in the water, the s ace between the floats and the plates permitting the passage of surface Water.

' ooms E. WHITON. 

